


Order Day

by vmprsm



Series: LC Destin [11]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: F/M, Independence, Inspirational Speeches, Kissing, Major Original Character(s), Making Out, Propaganda, Relationship Discussions, Social Anxiety, discussions of personal backstory, discussions on morality, lets be real:, mentions of post-trauma recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-03
Updated: 2017-10-03
Packaged: 2019-01-08 10:30:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12252558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vmprsm/pseuds/vmprsm
Summary: Destin is not going to enjoy this, she thinks, and then the galaxy proves her wrong again.





	Order Day

**Author's Note:**

> HERE WE ARE IT TOOK ELEVEN ONESHOTS BUT I DID IT.   
> (i am formally dedicating this oneshot to the anon that seems to be my one and only destin fan <3)

“Not to be rude, Hux, but do I _have_ to go?”

The General turned, straightening his tunic. “Yes. Is there a particular reason you wish not to?”

“Well,” she cast about for an excuse that was not near the truth, but still made sense. “My time would much likely be better served on base, working. I think I’ve proven my loyalty to the cause by now.”

He smirked slightly at her. The jerk. Destin was ninety percent sure he knew she didn’t want to go, very specifically. “The base is ahead of schedule, in large part due to your dedication. Now bring that dedication to a new purpose. It is only one day.”

“...yes, sir.”

“Don’t ‘sir’ me,” he said, coming around the conference table. He’d broken the unfortunate news in a meeting of all the higher command of Starkiller Base. The rest had since left, unwittingly leaving the two of them alone. 

“Yes, sir.” She replied with full sass, snapping into a crisp and yet entirely disingenuous salute. 

He snorted lightly. “If you ever do that in public, I’ll have to have you disciplined.” 

“As if I would be so stupid.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” he said, “some days I question that.”

“Sir!” She gasped, actually somewhat scandalised. 

That brought a chuckle out of her superior. “Alright, very few days.” Hux stepped closer, and took her by the shoulders. “Just the one day, then you can build to your heart’s content.”

She sighed dramatically. “You underestimate the depth of my heart’s content. But okay. I’ll go and I’ll be a good soldier.”

“Good.” He squeezed her arms briefly, then left. She watched him go, forlorn.

“Kriff.” Destin muttered into the empty room.

-

The shuttle ride was uneventful, other than Destin’s extreme discomfort. She tugged at her collar (too tight), wiggled her toes in her boots (not broken in), fiddled her cuffs (wouldn’t stop _twisting_ ), and was generally entirely unhappy in her dress uniform. She’d only worn the damn thing when she’d first passed C school and been properly inducted into the Order, otherwise there had been no need for it. Therefore, it didn’t sit well. Oh, it was tailored fine enough, but it was half that she didn’t _like_ it. It seemed to be attempting at the gallantry and pomp of the New Republic and well...she’d left that behind for a lot of reasons, but one was certainly the insistence on keeping an image. It was true there was a subliminal mental correlation between finery and power, but true power didn’t need to hide behind jewels and silks. 

And yes, the Order did have an image that they kept to, but it was more one of moderation and control. Nothing was wasted, and no one was useless. Everything in the Order was clean, regimented, and prepared. It was an easy thing to fall into line and know you would be taken care of fairly. The minimalist aspect of the First Order ideal greatly appealed to Destin, and still did, so an event like today really sat poorly:

_Order Day._

It was a really terrible name, but it held a lot of weight. It was an independence, propaganda, remembrance sort of day, set on the same day every year that marked when the First Order named itself to the galaxy by claiming its first populated planet. It was a small planet of the Outer Rim, but M’keet was now a booming industrial planet, with a population of several hundred million despite its size. The planet had been chosen due to its history of a repeatedly collapsing government structure, and the rich metal veins that snaked under the crust. While today was celebrated on all Order planets, the top brass went back every year to M’keet for the occasion. It was a semi-solemn affair, with a formal ceremony and speech that was broadcast across all their planets, but then there was a huge banquet and the festivities lasted until the next day. Destin had never been to one, always with her nose in the latest project. Besides, she’d never been important enough to attend before. Now, apparently, as first Rear Admiral, she was. She firmly blamed Hux for all of it.

Hux, who was also on this shuttle, wearing his dress uniform like he was born in it. It was a crisp white, starched and pressed within an inch of its life, with subtle gold and red accents in the epaulets, cufflinks, buttons, shoe clasps, and the medals across his breast. Thankfully, he had foregone the matching hat. To be frank, Hux looked terrible in hats. They made his face look too square. Unfortunately, Destin was not yet high enough in the chain to forego hers. She liked hats, generally, but this one was awkward, shaped like those you’d find on a real ship, a water-based one. The First Order Navy wasn’t _that_ kind of military. Ridiculous. 

To add insult to injury, her dress uniform was red. Red! She looked like a strawberry in red. It was a crimson, bloody sort of red, but it didn’t matter. Who in their right mind designed an outfit entirely red? Her accents were black, which darkened the look a little, but really nothing was going to save it.

She scratched irritatedly at her scalp, her bangs tucked up under her hat and pinned all over to keep them there, and the hat pinned on top. It was itchy and horrid and stupid and every second that Hux sat there looking perfectly comfortable was another second she wanted to throttle him. 

_“The shuttle lands in two minutes.”_

Okay. She breathed deeply, trying to get herself in order. Two minutes, then a bit of time on a stage, then a few hours at a banquet, then she could sneak away to her room and hide until they left the next morning. Destin could do this.

The shuttle touched down gently, and almost immediately the doors opened onto a cheering crowd, lined along a walkway to a raised stage platform that looked to be permanently installed. Around them were the moderately high buildings of the city, the shimmering, fluffy clouds against a backdrop of greyish sky and diffuse sunlight. 

Destin swallowed. She could do this. Couldn’t she?

The stage and surrounding area were decked in the red and black of the First Order, the stage backdrop a large banner with their symbol in the center with then seventeen points sharply pointed and proud. The command staff of the _Finalizer_ stood from their seats on the shuttle and filed out, Destin lagging behind to stall her departure.

A hand landed gently on her lower back, she turned her head sharply to find Hux beside her. He smiled with his eyes, the rest of his face still a mask of superiority. “Won’t be too long,” he said softly, “chin up. I’ll be here with you.”

A knot of anxiety loosened slightly in her chest, and she stepped out of the shuttle with Hux following behind.

The trek to the stage was frankly terrifying. Destin had never liked large crowds before, and now the crowd was _looking_ at her. She kept her eyes straight ahead, zeroed on the back of the second Rear Admiral, and kept an expression of detached calm. The expression was entirely a lie, but she tried to keep the fact that Hux was counting on her at the forefront of her thoughts. He would never ask her to do something if he did not believe she could. And so she must. 

They ascended the steps to the stage proper and lined up against the back, everyone falling into parade rest. The stormtrooper contingent that had been sent with then lined up at the bottom of the stage, flanking the stairs as Hux walked up. He took to the podium and Destin saw his shoulders relax slightly. He seemed comfortable. She kept watching him as he spoke of glory and progress and success in the face of failure, of cohesion and patience, watching his hand gestures and the movements of his face. He was inspiring, but she already knew that. To bring such inspiration to many was still impressive, and if Destin didn’t already believe in the principles of the Order, she would have then.   
Hux talked at length, bringing cheers and raucous applause from the crowd below. All the city’s mayors and the planet’s government head came to the stage and Hux shook their hands firmly. The head spoke briefly on the progress of M’keet, and what they had ahead of them. Likely quite a lot, Destin thought as her mind wandered back to the base, sitting incomplete and without her guidance. The core drilling and excavations were nearing completion, and soon they’d need a lot of metals to line the walls, build stairs and lifts, install the weaponry and all the support systems. Truly, even with a smaller area to work with, the amount of needed resources was staggering. 

How was it going? She wondered. She’d left right as they were about to start drilling out the last repeating cooling tunnel. She trusted the people on the build, and she’d left very detailed, explicit notes and blueprints on how to dig, but she wasn’t there. She’d been living on a ship, the base’s planet not exactly having its own barracks or officer’s quarters yet, overseeing all the work before the _Finalizer_ had appeared out of hyperspace to pick her up a few days ago. Hadn’t that been a shock. She’d been dropped off by the ship she was staying in, and had expected any return to be by her piloting it back. But no, a small trooper unit had come down to get her in a transport, and since then she’d been waiting anxiously on her ability to return. This time, the base would be _perfect_. She would personally make sure of it.

Her zoning out was broken by another loud cheer, followed on its heels by the striking up of music. The instrumental melody was simple and strong, just like the Order, and seemed to signal the end of their time on stage. Destin breathed a sigh of relief as she followed the group down off the stage the same way they’d arrived, but once they reached the bottom they turned, following the edge of the stage around to another path, this one leading into a nearby building. 

Oh right. The banquet. Didn’t they even get a minute to freshen up? The weather was extremely temperate, but Destin had been sweating anyways out of nerves. She really would have appreciated a refresher break.

Her ankles made a little whirring noise as they fully disengaged from their locked-standing position. Her cybernetic lower legs had all sorts of nifty features, and Destin was learning them all slowly as they became relevant. The standing lock was particularly convenient, it allowed her to refrain from shifting her weight, and let her to more comfortably stand for long periods of time. But to engage the lock she had to not move for more than thirty minutes. Subtly, as they walked, she checked her datawatch, which had been synced to her datapad so she never missed anything important. She blinked stupidly at the time readout.

_Two and a half hours?_

They had been standing there for one hundred and fifty minutes? She had barely noticed, so wrapped up in her own thoughts, but stars that was so ridiculous she couldn’t even comprehend it. How did one have enough to say to fill two and a half hours? How did Hux have a voice left?

Command staff filed into the large room that seemed to take up the entire first floor of the building, decorated tastefully in the same First Order style as on the stage. The tables were filled with hot food, and Destin’s mouth watered slightly. Real, planetside food. The meals on the _Finalizer_ weren’t bad, but she’d been on base rations on and off for several months now. She’d kill for real food. 

Hux swept past them, and Destin had been so enraptured by the food that she had forgotten he was behind them. She startled slightly when his fingers brushed her arm but still smiled fondly at his back. He moved purposefully to the other end of the room...to a new podium. Great. 

She followed, duckling-like, to line up again behind the General, and the rest of the guests were invited into the room. It filled up quickly, and now that they were on the same level, Destin was much more uncomfortable with the crowd. She carefully looked just above Hux’s head, at a chandelier and blanked her mind while he talked, only letting in thoughts about mundane things like fixing a TIE fighter, or re-calibrating her legs. 

The only bit about standing still for a long time was that her hands, clasped behind her back still, were starting to cramp. She had remarkable mobility despite all the various damage they’d taken, but the scar tissue tended to tighten everything up if she didn’t use them. Waking up every morning was a fun adventure, but generally she used her hands often enough during the day that otherwise it wasn’t a problem. But now, as she tried to carefully stretch her fingers straight behind her back, it was becoming a problem. A painful problem. 

She grimaced slightly as the skin stretched. She had lotion for this, and she really should stop trying to loosen anything when she couldn’t much move otherwise, but Destin had always been horridly stubborn. Besides, she hadn’t brought the lotion. The tools for her legs were inside the shuttle if necessary but the lotion hadn’t seemed important. How wrong she was. 

When Hux wrapped up his newest speech, her legs hadn’t locked yet, so thankfully it hadn’t taken forever. Applause, more polite this time, followed him as he turned to them. 

“The banquet begins now and ends at 2100. I expect you all to be exemplary members of the Order.” He clapped his hands together once and turned away, seemingly intent on moving into the crowd that was starting to slowly break up into the rest of the room. Destin’s first instinct was to follow _(I’ll be here with you)_ , but held herself back. It wouldn’t do to bring attention to herself like that, in the context of her closeness to Hux. Besides, they’d hardly seen each other in months, and while that was fairly normal, she shouldn’t assume that a few light touches meant he still felt the same as he had when she was in medbay, fighting for her life. Pain was only remembered, and so was fear. There was no way to know if he still felt that way, unless she asked. Which she was not going to do.

So as the rest of the command staff headed off in different directions to mingle or eat or otherwise amuse themselves, Destin stayed back, blending into the red banner behind her and simply observing. 

Regular people acted...differently. She considered how long she had been with the Order, and knew that her interpretation of the people around them was being heavily colored by her militaristic lifestyle. True, she still wasn’t the perfect officer, never would be, and had a lot more personality moments than others she knew, but she was so much more restrained than these people. She could pick out the politician types by how the managed to mostly school their features, but it paled in comparison to looking at any of the other officers. They were perfect masks, smiling in the right moments and never letting a twitch of real emotion through. Did she look like that? It was impossible to know.

In a moment of perfect alignment, bodies shifted to make a space where Destin could see Hux across the room. She caught her breath. 

Maybe it was just the lighting, but Hux was _glowing_. Unlike the other officers, he was animated, natural, like a fish in water. When he laughed it looked genuine, and Destin felt she was one of the few that knew what that really looked like. She had never before seen such a relaxed posture on him. No wonder he was in a command position, his charisma was insane.

Destin wished she could be like that, but more often than not she just made things awkward. She was funny, until she got too sassy. She was nice, until something annoyed her. She was helpful, until someone just didn’t get it. It was why she kept her distance from her crew, and kept a peppy smile on. Everyone assumed she just had someone else as a friend, or even a good acquaintance, but truthfully she just kept everyone away. Even back in the New Republic she never really made friends. 

Thankfully, she never had to spend too much time around others nowadays because there was always something to take her attention, a new problem to solve. But things like this event? This was her nightmare, and she’d been in _two_ explosions. 

She anxiously rubbed her hands, massaging some life back into them a little more roughly than necessary. It hurt, but it was grounding when she felt like she was disassociating from her own body. Everywhere she went, she didn’t quite fit in. 

As the party wore on, no one tried to engage her, a small favor as she edged around the outskirts of the party. She preoccupied herself with people watching, straightening her uniform, and massaging her hands. She had almost made it a full circuit around the room when she came upon Hux again. Or rather, he came up her, with intent. 

“Rear Admiral,” he said, his voice proper and patient, “how are you faring?”

“I’m fine,” she lied, releasing her death-grip on her left wrist. 

“You haven’t spoken to anyone, have you?” His perception was startling, and also annoyingly accurate.

“Well,” she said, “I’ve spoken to you.”

Hux rolled his eyes. “That doesn’t count.”

“You didn’t specify.”

_“Destin,”_

“No, okay!” Destin exclaimed in a hushed tone. “No one has tried to talk to me either.” It was a flimsy excuse, but she was trying desperately to ease what she interpreted as the disappointment in his expression. 

He held a hand out to her. His gloves were white like his outfit, with gold top-stitching. “Come on then.”

She went to put her hand in his and hesitated at the last moment, her automatic reaction stalled by her high brain processes. “For what?”

“You don’t have to talk. Just dance.”

Indeed, there was a small dance floor being carved out near the far side of the room, farthest from the food tables. The dancing style she didn’t recognize, but it was like a semi-waltz, and it followed the beat easily. 

Every child who was connected in some way to New Republic politics knew how to dance. Destin’s father was president of a large shipyard and had taught her at a young age. She’d been to formal events a few times, until she was regularly so covered in grease and random mechanical fluids on a daily basis that her father stopped asking her to go and just took her mother instead, despite the woman’s complex surgeon schedule. Dancing was honest communication between two people, her father had told her, a thing that did not occur often on the debate platform or in the board room. 

Destin hadn’t danced in at least ten years. “I don’t think--”

“Good,” Hux cut her off, “don’t. Don’t try to use your legs as an excuse either, I’ve seen their specs. After this I will relieve you from further social interaction. Fair?”

Well, that was too good of an offer to deny. As much as she was uncomfortable with dancing, she was more uncomfortable with sticking around for the next twoish hours. 

With a breath in that she held, she took Hux’s hand and the people in front of them parted as he moved them towards the other dancers. Once on the floor, he settled his other hand at her waist, her natural curve accentuated by the cinching of her belt, and shifted the grip of their clasped hands to something more suitable. He was leading, and Destin was perfectly fine with that. 

They drew a few intrigued looks, the General and her, people probably questioning why he had chosen her to dance, or chosen to dance at all. She tried to not make eye contact with them: if Hux had decided that this was okay, then it was. She instead drew her gaze to his face, closer than usual and a good half-foot above hers. Awkward. Her height usually wasn’t this obvious. 

He stepped back, and she followed. Hux set an easy, simple pace, but Destin was so stiff that it was more stilted and slightly off-beat. This wasn’t working. _She_ wasn’t working: Hux, again, looked like he had been born doing this. How was he so good at so many things? She opened her mouth to request they stop, to save him further embarrassment, but he glanced down and shushed her before she could get a sound out. 

“You’re fine. I know this is ironic, but I must tell you to stop thinking so hard. Just follow me.” 

Destin looked down again and nodded, smiling slightly. If he said so. She watched their feet, and tried to feel the music. She never really understood much the appeal of music. But after she made a conscious effort to unwind the steps became easier, soon they were moving smoothly around, passing others and simply being. It was a strange relief to be so in the moment. Destin was always thinking ahead, living for the next step. She rarely spent time being present, but those times came easier with Hux around. 

Of course, she got too comfortable, and a sudden side step had her stumbling, and she stepped on his foot. Hux took a short sharp breath in response, and she flushed. “Sorry, I’m sorry,” she mumbled, losing the thread of the music and stopping their movement. 

“Your timing is well enough, the song is over anyways,” Hux replied easily, “you did well.”

She moved out of the way of the dancers moving towards them, and Hux followed her to the side wall. “Still, I think I’ll call it quits.” She said, trying subtly to blend in with the backdrop again.

“You fulfilled my request.” Hux said, smoothing a hand over his perfectly styled hair. “You may retire now…” he paused, considering, “or, you can come with me.”

Destin looked at him, puzzled. He wasn’t looking at her, and she couldn’t tell if it was on purpose. “To where?”

“Out. I had a mind to take a trip around the city, see how its changed. I haven’t properly seen it in five years. I thought you might be interested.”

Was he asking for company? Her company? Privately? “I...would be interested.” She replied evenly, trying to keep his air of professionalism. She wasn’t going to make any assumptions on what this was, or let anyone else do so. In her opinion, they already skirted the line of propriety, and she still didn’t know where his feelings lie. Safer not to assume, nor to hope too much.

“Excellent.” He turned around. “I’ll lead us out then,” he said over his shoulder, and she hastened to follow.

They exited the building and took a sharp right, around the side of the building and to a small lot for hovercars. Hux walked up to a nondescript black one with two seats and slid in the driver’s seat without a fuss. The vehicle hummed to life with a fingerpress to the center console. Destin got into the passenger seat less gracefully. At least she didn’t trip or something, she thought, now all she had to do was sit, be attentive, and a good conversationalist. They had done that many times before, on surveys and other such events. 

So why did this feel different?

Maybe it was the cut of his uniform, or how for once they were on a planet with a temperate climate, or how neither of them had any more obligations tonight. She wasn’t one to complain about a good thing, so she put the _why’s_ out of her mind. 

Driving one handed, Hux coaxed the car out of the lot and only twenty feet or so above the ground as he turned out and away from the stage and their transport ship. The city was a series of roads before them, and he looked to pick one at random. They drove for a while, and Destin dutifully observed. Her overall impression was very...average. The city was surprisingly clean, and the buildings a bit cookie-cutter, but otherwise totally normal. There were buildings for all sorts of good and services, there were housing areas and schools and government buildings. It was well engineered, civilly speaking. Nothing stood out except for the massive power plants and metal refineries in the background, set well apart from the city proper. Everyone was taking the day off for Order Day, having their own festivities into the evening, so the streets were fairly bare.

“It doesn’t seem real.” Destin said, and then blinked. She hadn’t meant to say anything at all.

“It doesn’t look like this on the Core Worlds, does it?” He asked. His inflection wasn’t accusatory, just curious.

“...no, not really.” She hadn’t been to all the worlds in the core, but enough. “They’re all busy. Dirty. All sorts pass through to do one thing or the other. Some of the planets have been inhabited so long and had power changing hands so many times, you can’t even find where the cities started anymore. I always thought it was just because of time.”

“Ah, but it doesn’t have to be that way.” Hux said, some of his speech-like zealousness entering his voice. “This city is fairly new, but it was _planned_. It grows according to a blueprint set out for it. The citizen’s needs are assessed and balanced with what the city, and the Order, need of them. Time is no enemy when you plan for the future. That’s what the New Republic, and the Republic before it were always failing at. They’re short-sighted. They believe anyone should be able to do anything, so no one is planning for everyone. It’s all so individual and random. Cohesion, cooperation, _relying_ on your fellows is how you create a strong long-term society.”

Destin could do nothing but nod. She agreed, mostly, but he was so secure in his belief that there was no argument she could begin to make. Except…

“What about greed? Corruption? Those in power always want more, don’t they?” That was why the New Republic had a sans-chancellor senate, so no one could gain too much power. The Empire had taught them to be wary of anyone on top.

Hux shook his head. “The beauty of a society that is built for the collective is that everyone is given what they need to succeed. Everyone has an opportunity, and in that, everyone is accounted for, so problems like that cannot be left to fester. I’m not saying it is the perfect system, that I know it will work out every time, but it has a much better chance than the Republic. The Republic is old, and worn out. They are clinging to ways that have been proven not to work, and their own rampant corruption is why they do not want to give up to us, even though we have clearly found a better way. It will all come to light when we have control of the Core Worlds.”

They turned down another main avenue, headed for the power plant, or just to the side of it. Destin wasn’t sure which way was north. The housing district thinned out steadily, interspersed with bigger green spaces. The trees were mostly blooming small blue flowers, and they smelled slightly like a white flower she had known in her youth. 

“Have you ever been to a Core World?” She asked suddenly. It suddenly seemed important to know.

“No,” Hux answered solemnly, “we were in exile. My father, a Commandant, was running from the last vestiges of the Empire’s collapse. As I grew up and gained rank, I never had a reason to go.”

“So you don’t know what it’s like.” As soon as the words were out, Destin bit her lip. She hadn’t meant that to sound accusatory, but it may have.

Halfway between the edge of the city and the plant, Hux slowed the car to then ascend, raising them fifty or more feet, and then parked. They bobbed minisculely with the breeze, and all she just barely hear was the gentle hum of the repulsors. They sat in a semi-forced silence and surveyed the city. It was big, bigger than it seemed when they were driving around it, and had a beautiful type of uniformity. As they watched, lights started blinking on to illuminate the streets and the insides of homes. 

“I don’t know what it's like.” Hux said softly. She tried to scrutinize his tone but came up empty. “I’ve seen holos, and know what I learned in the Academy. I’m not ignorant, I know it can’t be all bad. But in schemes as grand as ours, we have to generalize. The Republic is largely wrong in how they choose to govern and to grow. It's all run amok, and it is now impossible to fix. Why try? Wipe the slate clean and start over.”

Destin put her hands together again to stop herself from nervously fiddling. “I grew up in it. There are good people, people who try to improve things, but the galaxy runs on credits and whoever is the loudest. When they told me...when they said there wasn’t a military fleet, denied an effort for technological advancement, I realized that they were building the future on fear of the past. I didn’t want to pretend that everything would be fine. Did you know my father wanted me to take over his business?” Destin didn’t wait for a response, wrapped up in her memories. “I would have been _rolling_ in credits. I could have made that shipyard into something really impressive. But it would never have meant anything. What’s the point of life if you aren’t doing something worthwhile with it? I feel like, when I received the rejection letter for my advanced studies, I woke up. Knowledge should never be hidden. The Republic hides things they don’t like, or that they’re scared of. Everyone should have a chance to pursue their personal ideal future. I just...it felt wrong. Not everyone there is wrong, no, but they all let themselves be blind to those that are. I couldn’t let myself be pushed into that. I wasn’t strong enough to stay and fight back, either.”

“Skyler,” Hux said, and her head snapped up so she could meet his eyes. He looked strangely sympathetic, like it wasn’t an expression he was used to wearing. He put a hand gently over both of hers, and she un-clenched her fingers. “You made the right choice. You couldn’t win that fight alone. The most important part of leadership, even over your own life, is knowing when to not fight. You made the wise decision to join a collective that could fight, where what you do matters.”

Destin blinked tears back from her eyes. Where had _those_ come from? “I don’t regret it,” she said, knowing it was important to drive that point home. “I know I made the right choice. It’s just hard to leave something behind without feeling like you abandoned it. I never told anyone where I went. I just left.”

“Sometimes we must abandon what we love for the greater good.” Hux replied solemnly. “It does not reflect poorly on us. Our victories outweigh our shortcomings. You must always keep looking forward.” At that he looked away from her, and back towards the city. She followed his gaze. “Look at it, Sky. This is what we fight for. They’ll see that, one day, and they’ll see _you_ as a part of that. Looking back is good for recognizing our past mistakes but we can’t wallow.”

“I know. I’m not.” Destin said, trying to make herself believe it. “I am proud of all of what we’ve done. This, this is beautiful. It’s worth fighting for.” 

She looked at him again, but couldn’t see much of his expression in the dimming light past the fact he was looking at her, too. “It is.” He said, and his hand reached out to cup her cheek. 

Every nerve in the area was instantly alight. Nothing felt real as he leaned closer but she went with it, carefully blanking out her mind so she didn’t overthink and screw anything up. 

Their kiss was tentative, slow. Unlike the desperate neediness of their last, there was nothing pressing upon them this time, and Destin could take time to really appreciate it. Appreciate _him_. His wide lips were a bit dry, but hers likely were too. Seconds passed as they carefully explored. It felt right, good, like she was allowed to have it, and the anxiety of the last few hours evaporated away in the new warmth of their closeness. 

She placed her free hand over his, still on her cheek, and tentatively cracked her lips open. Pulling away slightly, she breathed on his, trying to gauge his reaction. Was this fine? Would he want to stop, backpedal away from uncertain new ground?

Hux hesitated, then pressed back in with fervor. His tongue ran over her bottom lip and slipped into her mouth, and Destin lost all desire to be careful. Kissing was messy, sloppy, and normally she didn’t really see the appeal. But now it held all the appeal in the world because he wanted it too; every second they were together like this seemed to produce an increased desire for the next second to be just the same. To be more, even. 

She broke their kiss again and took a moment to look at him. Hux’s eyes opened quickly, blinking and a little concerned. He looked about to say something, but the look on his face only said _why did you stop?_ It was all she needed. Well, that wasn’t true, what she needed at that very moment was to be closer, and the center console, even as low as it was, was an unacceptable barrier. 

Taking his hand from her cheek, she put it to her waist and began to get up. She was lucky he was smart: he caught on quickly and held her with his other hand too, lending his strength to lift her over the console as she shuffled across the precariously floating car. There was nowhere else to go but on his lap, and frankly there was no place else she would rather be. He let out a huff as she settled her weight over his legs, her legs on either side of his hips and tucked onto the seat. He didn’t let go of her waist, so she took his face in her hands and kissed him again. 

They kissed like teens on a date, and settled into it. Destin draped her arms over his shoulders, and Hux tightened his around her waist, linking his fingers in the back to hold her. This was good for now, she thought, this was more than she’d ever dared to hope for. 

Soon enough, they parted to catch their breath, and looked at one another quietly. Hux’s pupils were wide in the darkness, and he stood out a bit like a ghost in his white uniform and pale skin. She smiled at him, smitten, and he smiled back. 

“So uh…” she started, not sure where to go from where they were. It felt like either they could stay floating, or plummet to the ground if she weren’t careful. If he changed his mind she would be very upset. “Did you plan this?”

Damn. Not really a great thing to ask. 

Thankfully, Hux chuckled. “To be honest, Skyler, I never planned anything about you. Yet here we are.”

He released her waist, and detached her arms from his neck. He slid his hands down her forearms to take both her hands in his. The leather from their gloves was warm. “You asked me, months ago, if I needed you. It took time, a lot of thought, and many mistakes to come to the conclusion that I do. I don’t make decisions lightly, but you rarely leave my mind, and have been more valuable to me in more ways than I ever expected. We have proven to be much more together than we are apart, and I would like the opportunity to see where more dedication may lead. If you’re similarly minded.”

“Yes, yes of course I am,” Destin replied, trying very hard not to cry. She kissed him again to seal it. He responded immediately, squeezing her hands and kissing back for a moment like his life may depend on it. 

When they broke apart, Destin almost had control of her eyes again, and needed to look away from his pinked face if she wanted to fully do so. She looked down instead, seeing the horrific clash of the white and red of their uniforms. It all hit her at once: she was sitting in _General Hux’s lap._ He wanted her there. He wanted _her._ She leaned in, hugged him tight, and his arms came up to hug back. It was only a moment, then she let go and sat back. 

“Well,” she said, taking a fortifying breath in through her nose, “this has been an enlightening trip, Hux, thank you.”

He seemed to not be able to help it, he laughed again. “You’re quite welcome, Destin.” Hux sobered after a moment. “You do know this doesn’t change anything during work hours.”

She raised her eyebrows. “I wouldn’t expect it to.” 

He relaxed. “Good. However...I would like to see more of you on our off-shifts.”

Destin grinned. “That can be arranged. I think I’m due some time on the _Finalizer_ once the preliminary digging is finished, we have yet to finish the new blueprints for the shields.”

“I’ll look forward to it.”

“Me too.”

They said little else as Destin stole one more kiss before clambering off of his lap and back to her seat. Hux took them back to the banquet hall without delay, but escorted her to her room before returning to close out the event. “Goodnight, Skyler.” He said gently, already a respectful few steps away as she opened the door to the guest room. 

“Goodnight, Hux.” She replied, smiling, and watched him down the hallway and out of sight.

**Author's Note:**

> lcdestin.tumblr.com


End file.
